Means for operating rail clamps



March 10, 1925- H. E. BALDWIN MEANS FOR OPERATING RAIL CLAMPS m w wf w /ut M M 1 r I 0 km, mm vHH m B Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM E. BALDWIN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWN HOISTING MA- CHINERY COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

MEANS FOR ornnarrne VRAIL CLAMPS.

Application filed September 22,1924. Serial No. 739,218.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HIRAM E. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and iiseful Improvement in Means for Operating Rail Clamps, of which the following is a clear and exact description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the specification, and wherein the same parts are designated by the same characters in each case.

My invention relates to clamping devices of the kind that are employed on large traveling bridge-cranes, such as are used in the ore and coal handling trades, tohold the bridges securely, when at a state of rest, to the rails upon which they travel. Broadly considered, the invention is applicable to any structure that is mounted 0 wheels and movable on rails. I

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, sure and elficient means for releasing clamping devices of the kind in question, when it is desired to move the bridge-structure from place to place along the supporting rails.

Another object is to provide means to control the clamp setting-mechanism to prevent a sudden or abrupt application of the clamping-members to the heads of the trackrails.

Furthermore, to furnish a device that is so calculated that the electric system for its operation may be coordinated in such manner With the system for traveling the bridge-structure, that it will be impossible for the device to function prematurely, but only when the bridge-structure itself is at rest, and as a preliminary to its movement along the rails.

The character of the invention will be readily understood upon reference to the drawing, and, when considered in conjunction with the specifications.

In the said drawing Figure I, is a iraginentary side view of a traveling bridge crane sill upon which is mounted a pair of rail clamping members and the necessary parts and mechanism for actuating the said clamping-members; Figure II is a plan view of the constituent parts shown in Figure I, together with the electrical elements, shown graphically, required to operate the clamp controlling means in coordination with 1 similar elements for traveling the crane, and Figure III is a sectional view taken in the line ABC of Figure I. Referring to the drawing-S is a bridgecrane sill, whose supporting wheels V, W are adapted to travel on a. track rail T. Depending from the sides of the sill S and intermediate of its supporting wheelsare two pairs of guide or chock-plates P, P and P P 7 a A trolley t, mounted on-- rollers 1*, 1" that rest on the track-rail T, is located under the sill S between the pairs of plates P, P and P P respectively. It is provided at its ends with upwardly projecting pieces 7), p, p, 10 that engage the sides of the sills to prevent any transverse displacement of the same. The trolley is propelled along the rail T by means of the pairs of plates P P and P P respectively, according to the direction of travel, whenthe bridge crane is moved from lace to place along its track. Midway oi the trolley t and spaced apart are pairs of transversely extending ears, 6, e and 6 6 provided with pin-holes to receive clamp carrying pins E, E 7 I Right and left rail clamping-members R and L are placed on the pins E, E between the pairs of ears e 0 and e, 6 respec ,tively. The lower ends of the clamping- -members extend downwardly and inwardly to points near the sides of the head of the rail T and the upper ends extend upwardly and terminate at points immediately above the sill S. The upper ends are bifurcated to receive toggle-links Z, Z, Pins is, 70, connect the links Z, Z to the clamping-members R and L respectively.

The toggle-links Z, Z are of such length, center to center of pin-holes, that when they are connected to the clamping-members R and L by the pins k, is, with said clampingmembers in contact with the sides of the head 'of the rail T, the inner ends, when joined together by the pin K will be above the horizontal plane passing through the outer pin-holes and the pins Mounted on the sill S to the right and left of the clamping-members] R and L (see Fig. I) at points that are equidistant therefrom are cylinder supporting-brackets b, 6. Above the links Z, Z, between the brackets 5, Z; and fastened to the latter is a cylinder M whose piston D through its con wardly through the lower oylinder h'eztd and terminates in a hifureated or forked end Which embraces" the inner ends of the toggle-links Z, lend to which inner ends it eoniieted by the pinjKK Inserted in the winder Msbtw n whe and e upper cylinc'l'er hedd', isztresilient m mber; p'g'eferebly es shown, elzi'inp- 'settingj spi ing 0, whose i'unctionisto keep the piston at its normzil position and in consequence, the" clamp -'Inehhlo'ers,"R end firmly set against the s oj fthe heidof the I Clemp" releeising' mechanism comprisin -[at motor N, a fluid pump efluid s p l -tent: rf serveir f, valye (held normally opii' Q and closed, eleetricdl'ly, by a .sb ni d fee in'e valve R neeessfery piping zi'reflocated on'the of the sill adj-agent to oyli'ii'der 2O leedsj' fi ohi" the supply tenk f to the of the fluid pump F; zt' pipe 21 s fromthe discharge side of the pump F toftheinte'lie of the Cylinder M Whiehis lo'ttt d'beloxif the piston I) when the letter is in its" normal position a pipe" 22 leads from an otier floiv outlet w 'in't-he eyli'ndei" M tojthe supply tink f; a pipe23, which has A. the solenoid Velt e V and the re 'ulzitin' valYe RV in its line; l'zids from the pipe 21 t6 the supply tank The motor N is adapted to drive the fluid pump spur-pinion e7) onuif meter shift a'ndthe" spur ge a r s'gpn the pump shaft 375*. An interlock, o1" plunger-'s'r'viteh; is heated :ab'oVe' the eylind'er M its operating: rod or stein 24 extends 7r. dbkv w'n dl through the upper cylinder he zi d into the eylinderM to a distance that insure an upward movement of the same dh'ringjthe releajse" stroke of the piston after the clafhipqnelnhers hWe become diehgaged from the rail head.

The detiils of a preferentiil electrical system comprising in their roper sequenee locttiofn, the Wiring, resistane es, sol nerds," terminals, edntaetoi's; interlocks, sgwitches'fiand other contributingelements, the functioning of an ot erheed (Irene in e-e oven m z tlong a tralck, and elsb the orkings 6f the device under siich Conditions are indie'ated .dizi grzininiatioe lly in Fig. II and With suflic'ient definiteii'ess' it is thought, for tlie'full understending of the sein those versed in" the art.

master-switch MS, through the severzil eontgecci-sj nd interlocks, controls the Oil? ciiits to the puinp n'iotor N, the solenoid halve V end th e bridgetravel-motor.

wee ie e t e eie z e ten it Willbe" apparent; that Wheh the metal-switch" MS is atdtfihic e cl (either forwere or reverse) the electric current Will immediatel flow to the pump-motor N and to the normally open solenoid-Valve V; in consequence of which the motor will start and the valve V Will close. The pump is new functioning under the influence of the motor and the fluid introduced into the oylindei" M throu'glrthe pipe 21 below the piston D. When the pressure of the fluid against the und'eiiside 01- the piston silt fieie'iit to overfeeme the pressure the spri iglO', the piston will rise until sur'taee'is above" the opening ml, in the'cylin: def The speed trziifel of the ipi'ston will the toggle l'iiiks Z, Z, arid thereby drew the upper ends of the olzhhpniemhers' Lend R together ind sep'heregtlieif lower or gripping en'ds eel-1 the rail heed. seem the eleml'yn'ien'ihrs are t-l'iuis fully releeised from the rail, the, piston D enc'eunter the stem 24:? of the interlo-k- 24 al'iid earries th seine With it until it ree'ches tlie' end of its upward tr'iiVelQ In this nin'ne idlsbbhh the" piston D is at its upperiti a t l limit the interlock 24 is closed, and tl'ih, end not he fore, will current flow to the Bridge travelmotor, (not shown) and thebridgestriieture, of which only" the sill S lsh'oitinwill to trevel along the rail It isevident from the foregoing deseription thtt the pump motor Will funetion eonti nuliusly While the bridge motor ishtrev eling the bridge structure; to prevent any undue strhi'n's and" pressures on the pump end the Cylinder While the bridge is ti' zix eling' any excess pressure in the cylinder isrelieved by the esezipeinent of the fluid through the opening- 00 into the pipe line" 22, which conducts thefiuidbtiek to the supply tzinli f.

Wheii the bridge has treifeled to the location desired the D12LSt6-ISWlt-Cl1 or controller isVturne-d tothe neutrel or off position.

the eontfollei" in this p osition all current is shut oli from the severhl eleetrieal units (the bridgetrarel inotor, the solenoid valve V ind the pump-motor N), and the san e cease to funetien.

As Will be etiideiit, by the time thebndgev strueturehas been brought to rest the. 21C- tion of the bridge trevelmotors breke5 the piistoi havingloeen relieved of the fluid pressure bene'ath will no longer resist the expansive force ofthe spriii Gland, in consequence, under the infliiehee of that force, Will heve descended to its normal position and the elemping-arnis-R and L, have rem gaged the rail as designed.

It is'ohvious that, duringics descent to its normal position, the piston Will force the fluid that WEiS under pressure during" the ti ei' elihg" of the bridge-striieture, back to the tank through the pipes 22 and 23, the fiermfauy-epefi solenoid yelve V, zin'd the ieghliiting" hali e RV. The of the valve RV, in the pipe line 23, is to regulate the speed at which the fluid is returned to the tank and thereby provide against a sudden or too abrupt application of the clampmembers against the rail head T. It follows, of course, that, when the piston breaks contact with the stem 24*, the interlock switch 24 will open and the travel-motor cease to function.

Having described my said invention, and shown a concrete application of the same, what I wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clamping device for securing overhead cranes and similar structures to their supporting rails, comprising the combination of oppositely disposed clamping arms pivotally connected to and beneath the structure, jaws at the lower ends of the arms, links j oint-edly fastened tothe upper ends of said arms and projecting equidistantly therefrom towards each other, a fluid-cylinder supported on said structure, at a predetermined point above said links, a piston within the cylinder normally located near the lower end thereof, a connectingrod depending from said piston and extending downwardly through an aperture in the lower head of the cylinder, for the purpose, to and into operative engagement with the inner ends of said links, a resilient pistonresisting member between said piston and the upper head of said cylinder, an intakeorifice in the cylinder below said normal location of said piston, a plunger contactorswitch above said cylinder with its stem extending downwardly through the upper head of the cylinder to a predetermined point in the upward part of said cylinder, clamp-releasing mechanism, supported on said structure, comprising a fluid reservoir, a fluid-pump, a motor for operating said pump, a pipe between the reservoir and the pump, a pipe between the discharge side of the pump and said intake-orifice, a pipe, having a normally open solenoid-valve in the same, between the pipe last above named and said reservoir, all substantially as shown and described.

2. A clamping device for securing overhead cranes and similar structures to their supporting rails. comprising the combination of oppositely disposed clamping arms pivotally connected to and beneath the structure, jaws at the lower ends of the arms, links jointedly fastened to their upper ends and projecting equidistantly therefrom towards each other, a fluid-cylinder supported on said structure at a predetermined point above said links, a piston within the cylinder normally located near the lower end thereof, a connecting-rod depending from said piston and extending from said piston downwardly through an aperture in the lower head of the cylinder, for the purpose, to and into operative engagement with the inner ends of said links, a resilient piston-resisting member between said piston and the upper head of said cylinder, an intake orifice in the cylinder below said normal location of the piston, an outlet orifice in the cylinder below the upward limit of travel of the piston, a plunger contacto-r-switch above the cylinder with its stem extending downwardly to a predetermined point in the upward path of said travel, clamp-releasing mechanism, supported on said structure, comprising a fluid reservoir, a fluid-pump, a motor for operating said pump, a pipe between the reservoir and the pump, a pipe between the discharge side of the pump and said intake orifice, a pipe between said reservoir and said outlet orifice, a pipe having a normally open solenoid-valve in the same, between said pipe leading to said intake orifice and said reservoir, substantially as shown and described.

3. A clamping device for securing overhead cranes and similar structures to their supporting rails, comprising the combination of oppositely disposed clamping-arms pivotally connected to and beneath the structure, jaws at the lower ends of the arms, links jointedly fastened to the upper ends of said arms and projecting equidistantly therefrom towards each other, a fluid-cylinder supported on said structure at a predetermined point above said links, a piston within the cylinder normally located near the lower end thereof, a connecting-rod depending from said piston and extending downwardly through an aperture in the lower head of the cylinder, for the purpose, to and into operative engagement with the inner ends of said links, a resilient pistonresisting member between said piston and the upper head of thecylinder, an intakeorifice in the cylinder below said normal location of said piston, a plunger cont actorswitch above said cylinder with its stem ex tending downwardly through the upper head of the cylinder to a predetermined point in the upward path of said piston, clamp-releasing mechanism, supported in said structure, comprising a fluid reservoir, a fluid pump,amotor for operating said pump, a pipe between the reservoir and the pump, a pipe between the discharge side of the pump and said intake-orifice, a pipe, having a normally open solenoid-valve in the same, between the pipe last above named and said reservoir,

together with a system of electric circuits that includes said plunger-switch, for energizing said pump-motor, said solenoid-valve, and the motor for traveling the bridge-crane, substantially as shown and described.

HIRAM E. BALDWIN.

Witnesses L. P. Lirrs, 

